Kirkwall weather in October
Temperature, sea and sunshine in October: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: May – June
What is the weather like in Kirkwall in October?
In October, Kirkwall is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 12.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 130 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 45 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Kirkwall.
October compared
How the weather changes from September to November. Tap a month to open it.
| SeptemberSep | OctoberOct | NovemberNov | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Day | 13° | 11° | 9° |
| Night | 11° | 9° | 7° |
| Sea | 13° | 12° | 11° |
| Sun | 4 h | 3 h | 2 h |
| Rain days | 16 | 21 | 22 |
More details for October
- Daylight
- 10 h 22 min07:46 – 18:09
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 45 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 76 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC+1Europe/London
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in October
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Kirkwall in October: quick answers
Is Kirkwall hot in October?
No. In October, Kirkwall is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C and nights drop to about 9 °C.
Can you swim in Kirkwall in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 12.0 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Kirkwall in October?
It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 130 mm.
Kirkwall month by month
The whole year in KirkwallAll destinations: United KingdomWhere to go in OctoberSea temperature in October
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences